Twice Upon A Time
by LittleMissCheerios
Summary: Brock and Barbra Jean had dragged Reba with them to Jimmy's Pub to celebrate their finally finalized divorce. What started out as a casual night at the bar in celebration of a peaceful divorce between three friends, became a casual night at the bar for (with the help of Barbra Jean and a quarter) a twice upon a time for a redhead and her former Prince Charming.


In a room of lonely faces, people drowned their sorrows in the burning sting of hard alcohol. The jukebox played softly amidst the heartbreak and loneliness and strangers made weak conversations about work, while some left together. But beyond all this, three friends sat around a small table with smiles spread across their faces as their laughter rang in the thick smokey air around them.

Tonight two of them were celebrating with their red-head. Brock and Barbra Jean's divorce had been finalized. Though no longer bonded before the Lord, and the courts, they were still bonded through their beautiful child. There was no hate between them, there was no love, but there was friendship.

For the first time in six years, Barbra Jean didn't have to hold any guilt in the back of her mind. She wasn't married to Reba's husband anymore. But, neither was Reba. She watched her best friend and their ex-husband as the three talked and joked and laughed. Reba's eyes occasionally scanned the crowd around them, while Brock's were focused solely on Reba. It was the first time she'd ever seen his attention all on one woman with other women all around him.

It was where Reba's attention was that bothered her. The man who loved her with every fibre of his being was sitting right beside her, his hand on his glass close enough to take hers, but she was looking around and giving small waves to the men that smiled at her as they passed. Barbra Jean just wanted to take Reba by the shoulders and give her a shake. _Mr. Right is right in front of you! Look at the way he looks at you! Reba, he loves you… and even if you won't admit it to yourself, I know you still love him too!_

"Anyways, yeah." Barbra Jean finished her winded story. Before the night was out she had to get Reba to see that the very person she needed was the same one she'd needed twenty something years ago. And she had to get her to see it soon, before someone other than Brock took her home. She glanced around the room, scrambling for an idea. "I see someone I know, I'll be right back." Barbra Jean excused herself and got up from the table. She pushed through the crowd on the dance floor and made her way to the jukebox. They both loved music, maybe if she picked the right song the two of them would hear the meaning behind it and Reba would stop being so stubbornly oblivious.

Her eyes flew over the songs. All country. The stuff that Reba listened to. She popped a quarter into the machine, then found another table where she could still see them. As she sat down she could see that Reba's attention was still divided, and she fumed. When the song finally started, Barbra Jean exhaled. If her plan worked she'd find someone to mingle with, if it didn't, she'd have to think of something else before last call.

_Once upon a time, there were two hearts  
On the road to happy ever after  
And the story goes that the real world  
Snuck up and stole their sunlight and their laughter_

_They stood there in the dark and tried to see  
That's the way I picture you and me_

As it played Brock's eyes followed the melody to its source. Barbra Jean was bursting inside. Did he recognize it? Oh, she hoped to God he did. _Please, Lord, they deserve to be as happy as they used to be. It's all my fault, and I shouldn't be asking you because of everything I've done, but please, let me have this one prayer. Give them their life back. _She held a napkin in her fist as she sent her prayer. Repeating it over and over in her mind, clenching and unclenching her hand. She scolded herself for sending such a drunken prayer to her maker, but she wanted this more than anything.

_Sometimes love's no fairy tale  
Matches made in Heaven sometimes fail  
When we know love's so hard to find  
Should we give up on us and leave it all behind?  
Or rewrite this story twice upon a time?_

Barbra Jean watched gleefully as she saw Reba take in a breath and turn to the blond man beside her. Her attention finally centred. Shaking in her seat, Barbra Jean leaned on her elbows, trying to hear the unspoken words between her two best friends.

_We could start at chapter ten, see those hearts again  
Finding all the clouds have silver linings  
And be sure by chapter twelve all the stars that fell  
Are back up in the sky and brightly shining_

_The choice is ours, the pen's still in our hands  
We can right the wrong, or we can write the end_

"Don't be stupid, Brock." Barbra Jean whispered. "You're a better man now, and I know she sees it. Right the wrong."

_Sometimes love's no fairy tale  
Matches made in Heaven sometimes fail  
When we know love's so hard to find  
Should we give up on us and leave it all behind?  
Or rewrite this story twice upon a time?_

_If there's ever gonna be a happy ending  
First there's got to be a new beginning_

Reba and Brock stared at each other, neither uttering a single word. Reba's hand shook as it hovered beside her glass and she set it down on the table to keep it still. Barbra Jean squealed from across the bar as Brock covered Reba's hand with his and she jumped up from her seat and moved to a closer table, still out of view, but within earshot of anything either of them could say.

_Sometimes love's no fairy tale  
Matches made in Heaven sometimes fail  
When we know love's so hard to find  
Should we give up on us and leave it all behind?  
Or rewrite this story twice upon a time?_

Her hands were clenched in her hair, strands detaching from her scalp. _What are they just staring at each other for? Make a move, Brock, you know she won't! Aghhhh! I swear to God, if you miss this chance tonight I'll slap the blond right off you…WITH THE HOLY BIBLE! _She bit her knuckle when Reba glanced down at their hands, if someone didn't do something soon—

_Don't give up on us and leave it all behind  
We could write this story twice upon a time, twice upon a time_

"Reba." Brock smiled.

She looked up, her eyebrows high, her blue eyes gleaming, anxiously anticipating his next words. "Brock."

By now Barbra Jean was lying over the table top, holding onto the edge for dear life. This was it. They were either going to write the end, or right the wrong and she wanted so badly for it to be the latter.

Brock took a breath and smiled. "Do we get a twice upon a time?" He asked.

The only thing that kept Barbra Jean from hollering across the bar was the smile that broke across her best friend's face as she nodded. "Yeah. I think we do."

He downed his shot then picked Reba up and spun her around in his arms, both laughing. Barbra Jean screamed and bounded over to them, pulling them both into her arms. "Finally!" Tears streamed down her cheeks as she squeezed the life out of the pair.

"Careful, Gentle Ben. I'm breakable." Reba strained.

Barbra Jean let go and stepped back to sit back down at their table. She couldn't believe that her plan had worked. All they'd ever needed was a shove in the right direction. And now, Brock was leading Reba in the direction of the dance floor as the next song started to play.

She watched them and wiped her eyes with the napkin she'd been holding. The floor had magically cleared and the only two dancing were two former lovers who's always been in love.

"Is this seat taken?"

Barbra Jean turned to find her high school sweetheart standing in front of her. She couldn't believe it. "Lyle?" He flashed her a charmingly white smile and slid onto the chair across from her and ordered her another drink.

Glancing back at Brock and Reba alone on the dance floor, she could see him speaking softly against her hair and Barbra Jean smiled. Barbra Jean couldn't help but think that this entire night was an act of God. All she'd ever wanted to do was to somehow make it up to Reba for all she had taken from her. Barbra Jean placed her hand over the tiny gold cross necklace she wore and sent a silent thank you to the Lord.


End file.
